Watering

Plenty of available water is vital for healthy growth and cropping. When a plant goes short of water it stops growing and often starts to go to seed prematurely (bolting) - or just dies.

For healthy, strong growth and the highest yields of the best crops your plants will need a constant supply of water at the roots. As a result, watering in summer is often necessary. Plants growing in containers are almost totally dependant on you to supply water and you may have to water some container crops once or even twice a day in summer to prevent them drying out.

The aim should be to keep the soil or compost evenly moist - soaking dry soil can result in some crops splitting and becoming unusable.

Seeds and seedlings are the most critical stages for many plants, so make sure seed beds and seeds sown in containers are kept moist while plants are establishing. Always use fresh tap water for this; water stored in waterbutts may contain pathogens that could affect seedling growth.

Some crops - such as the greenhouse crops and runner beans - and most seedlings will suffer a shock if watered with cold water, so allow it to reach ambient temperature before using.

If water is in short supply then use it on the following crops: peas, beans and sweet corn when they are in flower; potatoes when they are producing their new tubers; large, leafy crops before they start to wilt.

Further information on watering